The Decision
by 4luv4evr428
Summary: Preparing to get married, Ricky and Lucy face difficult circumstances...and a crossroads.


I.

Lucy twirled in front of the full length mirror, looking radiant in a silky, aqua summer dress which set off her blue eyes. She was planning to surprise Ricky with lunch at the club, since he couldn't get away from rehearsals.

It had been several weeks since he had asked her to marry him. Lucy was still working on her mother, who was not crazy about the idea that she was marrying a Cuban man; she had spent the last month warning Lucy that his suave, charming ways would end up breaking her heart and ruining her life. But Lucy was confident that Ricky really was in love with her and wouldn't hurt her, and Ricky had been emphatic in his rejection of his future mother-in-law's belief. The couple hadn't yet discussed it, but Lucy was starting to consider that eloping with Ricky in secret would be the only way for them to have a peaceful wedding.

Lucy noticed the time and scurried out of her bedroom. She picked up her purse and a small basket of lunch from the front room of the apartment she shared with Marian, and rushed out. She walked quickly down the block in the heat of August's first week, not noticing the several male heads that she turned as she moved.

II.

"Fellas, fellas, c'mon, can we stay together?" Ricky was frustrated with the musicians in his orchestra. He sighed heavily as he flipped through his pile of music. "Let's just move on to the next number. I want to rehearse that dance. Josephine, are you ready?" Ricky called out to the dancer he had hired, but he was having second thoughts about her. She was a very good dancer and had a very good presence, but she had eyes for snaring herself a husband, and despite his repeated insistence that he was engaged and happy, Ricky often found himself on the receiving end of her flirtations.

"I'm ready, Ricky…" Josephine sauntered out from her dressing room in a green, glittery costume to the sound of a few whistles from the boys in the band. Ricky scowled at them. "Alright, alright. Take it from the 40th measure, I want to practice the move at the end."

Ricky put an arm around Josephine, but the music didn't start. He took a step back and looked at them. "What NOW?" Marco, the piano player, pointed to the front of the club. "You have a very lovely visitor, boss." Ricky turned around as Josephine frowned and crossed her arms.

"Well, you're right!" Ricky walked toward Lucy. "Take 5, boys. Josephine, we'll rehearse that number in a few minutes."

Josephine backed off the stage slowly, looking at Lucy through slanted eyes, plotting.

"Hi, honey!" Ricky pulled Lucy into an embrace and gazed into her eyes.

"I thought I'd bring you some lunch since you're so busy…" Lucy smiled as she smoothed a hand over his raven hair.

Ricky smiled. "You are exactly what I needed today, thank you. I REALLY need to do this dance number before lunch, though…"

Lucy backed away from him and laughed softly. "Well, how about I bring this up to the roof, and you meet me up there when you're done?"

Ricky leaned forward and kissed her. "It's a date."

As Lucy headed up the stairs, Ricky called out to the boys and Josephine. "C'mon, let's do this dance before lunch!"

Josephine walked back out on stage as the musicians took their seats and raised their instruments.

"Measure 40. Josephine, let's do the closing steps, alright?"

Josephine purred as he put an arm around her again. "Sure, Ricky."

The orchestra played as Ricky and Josephine danced to the rumba. As they moved, Josephine saw Lucy standing to the side. She had come down for something that had fallen out of the basket and she stayed to watch Ricky dance, but he hadn't noticed her.

Josephine saw a chance to try and get rid of Lucy once and for all. As the orchestra played the final measures of the song, Ricky dipped Josephine in the final movement of their dance. As he did so, she moved a hand to the back of his head and pressed his lips to hers in a fierce kiss. He was stunned by the act.

Lucy gasped softly and ran back up to the roof, nearing tears. Her stomach turned, fearing and hating that her mother may have been right all along.

Back on the stage, Ricky went from stunned to angry. He broke away from Josephine's kiss and backed away from her. "Are you crazy? What are you doin'?"

He turned when he heard Lucy's heals walking behind him. Without looking at Ricky, she walked toward the door, basket in hand. "Lucy? Lucy, where are you goin'?"

When Lucy faced him, he could see her eyes were red from crying. "I didn't mean to disturb your cozy little rehearsal, Ricky. I'll see you around."

"Lucy!" Ricky turned to Josephine desperately. "You tell her that I had nothin' to do with that!"

Josephine smiled without a word. Anger crossed Ricky's face as he started to realize what she had really done. "I'll deal with you later." He chased Lucy outside as Marco stepped off the stage. He faced Josephine. "And you think Ricky's gonna keep you around here after that?"

Josephine turned her back to Marco and headed back toward the dressing room. "We'll see…"

III.

Ricky sat on the stoop of an apartment building, his head in his hands. He had chased Lucy and begged her to listen to him, but she wasn't budging. She had seen what she had seen and he didn't know how he would undo it. He had continued following her, practically on his knees, until she turned and told him angrily to leave her alone.

And so he sat where she left him, not knowing what to do or if she would ever speak to him again.

Meanwhile, Lucy climbed the stairs of her apartment building, feeling anger slip away, replaced by overwhelming heartbreak. When she reached her apartment, she set the basket down on the coffee table. She felt a wave of disbelief that the man she was so completely in love with was no longer hers, and she sank to the floor, dissolving into tears.

As Lucy cried, Marian walked into the apartment and looked at her in shock. "Lucille! What on earth is the matter?!"

Lucy looked up at Marian. "Oh, Marian, it's awful! I went to the club to see Ricky today and when he thought I wasn't looking, I saw him kissing his new dancer…"

Marian's mouth fell open as she knelt to the floor next to Lucy. "Lucille, are you absolutely sure?"

"I wish I wasn't…" Lucy felt new tears welling up within her.

"I just can't believe it. You know how much Ricky loves you! He wants to marry you! I just can't believe it!" Marian shook her head. "Well, what did he say?"

"He tried to tell me it wasn't what it looked like, but I was so mad, I didn't really listen to him. I told him to leave me alone." Lucy looked at her hands. As she said the words out loud, she realized what she was saying.

Marian looked at Lucy with wide eyes. "Lucille, WHY didn't you let him explain?"

Lucy stood up. "I have to go back. I can't just let him run back to HER…" Grabbing her purse, Lucy ran quickly down the stairs of the building, leaving Marian standing in the doorway.

As she went out the front door, Lucy stopped in her tracks. Ricky was on the sidewalk. When he saw her, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Thank goodness. Lucy, will you PLEASE listen to me? Please?"

Lucy sat slowly on the stoop of her building, placing her hands in her lap. She looked at him quietly, not allowing her face to express the pain she was in.

"Lucy, I did not kiss Josephine. She kissed me and as soon as I realized what was happening, I stopped her!"

Lucy looked at her hands. "Do you always not realize when a girl is kissing you?"

Ricky knelt on the stoop. "I was surprised by it, it took me a few seconds to register it. You din't see me yell at her after?"

Lucy looked back up at him silently.

"There's NOTHIN' between Josephine an' me! If there was, would I be fool enough to kiss her while you were there?"

Lucy frowned. "You sent me to the roof! You didn't think I was there!"

Ricky looked at the sky, exasperated. "That was your own idea, I din't tell you to do that!"

Lucy softened, remembering that he was right. "Have you ever kissed before?"

As Ricky opened his mouth to answer her, a voice came from behind him. "Lucy, I never saw him kiss her or show any interest in her, ever. She's tryin' to hook him." Lucy looked up and Ricky turned around to see Marco.

Ricky turned back to Lucy. "No, we never kissed or did ANYTHIN' before. And we never will again, I'm gonna fire her. I was thinkin' of it anyway. Lucy…" Ricky sat next to her and took her hands in his. "Lucy, there's no one else, honey."

Lucy looked over at Marco, who started backing away. "I'm gonna go back to the club, boss. "

Ricky nodded. "Thanks, Marco."

As Marco walked away, Lucy looked at Ricky. "Ricky, I don't know…maybe this is what my mother 's been talking about…"

Ricky's face grew hot. "What?!" He stood up angrily. "Is THAT what this is about?"

Lucy stood up to face him. "No! This is about you two-timing me!"

"Lucy, I tried to tell you I don't want anythin' to DO with this girl. What am I gonna do with you?"

"You don't know what you're going to do with ME?" Lucy put her hands on her hips.

Ricky looked at her and sighed. How was it possible for her to look so beautiful and so mad at the same time? "If you don't trust me….if you believe what your mother says about me…well, I dunno…"

Lucy looked away. They stood awkwardly for a few moments, each waiting for the other to break the silence. When Lucy still didn't say anything, Ricky started walking away. He silently prayed that she would stop him. Lucy watched him walk away, silently praying for him to turn around.

With each step away that he took, Ricky grew more upset. Even as tears stung his eyes, he refused to let Lucy see how destroyed he felt and he kept walking.

IV.

A summer thunderstorm sent rain pouring over the city later that night. Ricky sat in his dressing room, looking at the floor and listening to the orchestra play music for dancing. He had gotten through his show, minus the dance number with Josephine, who he had fired in a rage when he returned to the club after fighting with Lucy. They hadn't spoken since he left her, and he was despondent, fearing that he'd never see her again.

More than once since that afternoon, he had fought tears at the thought of his broken engagement, to say nothing of his broken heart. He stood up and walked out into the club, forcing himself to smile half-heartedly at the people in the crowd. In a daze, he walked to the front door and stood in the foyer, looking out at the large raindrops that were pelting the pavement, the sound of distant thunder rumbling in the darkness.

Ricky leaned on the doorframe with his hands in his pockets. The sound of the music inside and the chatter of the crowd seemed very far away from him. But the sound of a woman's heals approaching behind him was catching his attention.

He looked to his side and caught his breath when he saw Lucy, stunning in a form fitting black dress that brushed her knees and sat gracefully off her shoulders. Her red curls were pulled up beautifully. Ricky looked at her silently. It was at once the moment he had hoped for, but was shocked by.

When he saw the hint of a quiver in her lip, he resisted no more and he put his hands on her waist.

"Ricky, I'm sorry, I'm so sor-"

Ricky shook his head, interrupting her. "No, Lucy, no. I've been sufferin' all night that the biggest mistake of my life was to walk away from you…"

Lucy rested her hands on his arms. "I came here because I had to know if you were saying that it's over…"

Ricky swallowed. "Do you want it to be over?" She replied in a whisper. "No."

"I dun't want it to be over. I want to marry you."

Lucy started to cry with relief and Ricky pulled her close to him. "Lucy, dun't cry, I understand why you were so upset. I wasn't gonna just let you go, I just din't know what to do…"

"I trust you, Ricky, I believe you about what happened. And I don't care anything about what my mother says, either…"

Ricky laughed softly. "I love you, Lucy."

"I love you, too." Lucy looked into his eyes and knew that he was sincere. He kissed her, his tongue moving with hers as he pulled her tightly into him. When their kiss parted, they stood in each other's arms, their faces close as the rain continued falling next to them.

"Lucy, honey, I dun't think we're gonna get any peace until we just do what we wanna do…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, let's go get married. Tomorrow. I dun't want to put it off anymore, I want you to be my wife."

Lucy smiled and settled her head into the crook of his neck.

Ricky smiled. "Is that a yes?"

"It's a yes." She kissed his neck gently.

"We'll go to Connecticut tomorrow. I'll take care of everything. All you need to do is come with me and marry me…" Ricky tilted her face toward him and kissed her again, passion rising in both of them. Very suddenly, he took Lucy by the hand and led her through the crowd to get backstage.

He closed the door to an empty dressing room, the two of them resuming their passionate kissing, his hands beginning to roam her curves as he backed her against a wall. She slipped away from her senses, responding to his touch, when suddenly he stopped, looking at her.

"Lucy, I can't do it. I mean…I want it…I want you, more than anythin'. But not this way. You deserve better than this, it should be special…"

Lucy exhaled, appreciating that he was right, but left feeling empty and full of longing. She looked at him and smiled. "Tomorrow…" She whispered softly.


End file.
